doubt telling her of the many good 

 qualities of the Mr. Bluebirds, how 

 devoted they were, how they ever re- 

 lied upon the good judgment and prac- 

 tical turn of their mates, never direct- 

 ing, never disputing, but by cheerful 

 song and gesture encouraging and ap- 

 plauding everything they did. Then, 

 too, unlike some other husbands that 

 wear feathers, they regularly fed their 

 mates when sitting upon the nest and 

 did their duty afterward in helping to 

 rear the young. 



As he talked Miss Bluebird's cold- 

 ness gradually melted till at length she 

 coyly accepted his invitation to de- 

 scend and examine a certain tenement 

 which, hoping for her acceptance, he 

 had the day previous, he said, been to 

 view. 



"We can at least look it over," he 

 said artfully, noticing the elevation of 

 her bill at the word "acceptance," 

 "though of course it is too early in the 

 season to occupy it. Mr. Purple Mar- 

 tin lived in it last year and " 



Miss Bluebird interrupted him, a 

 trifle haughtily, I thought. 



" Is the tenement you speak of in a 

 stump, fence hole, or tree cavity?" she 

 inquired. 



" Neither," he hastened to answer; 

 " it is a box erected by the owner of 

 these premises." 



" Ah," said she, graciously, "that is 

 another matter," and very amiably 

 spread her wings and descended upon 

 the roof of the box in question. 



" You see," explained Mr. Bluebird, 

 "the man who put up this dwelling 

 knew what he was about He had no 

 intention the sparrows should occupy 

 it, so he built it without any doorsteps 

 or piazza, as you have no doubt re- 

 marked." 



" Really," replied Miss Bluebird, "in 

 my opinion that is a great defect. A 

 house without doorsteps " 



" Is just what certain families want," 

 interrupted Mr. Bluebird, smilingly. 



"Our enemies, the sparrows, cannot fly 

 directly into a nest hole or box like 

 this, as we can, but must have a perch 

 upon which first to alight. It is for 

 that reason, my dear, this house was 

 built without doorsteps. No sparrow 

 families are wanted here." 



Miss Bluebird at this juncture thought 

 it proper to be overcome with a feel- 

 ing of shyness, and could not be pre- 

 vailed upon to enter the box. 



More than once her companion flew 

 in and returned to her side, singing 

 praises of its coziness as a place of 

 abode. 



"With new furnishings it will do 

 capitally," said he; "we might even 

 make the Purple Martins' nest do with 

 a little " 



Miss Bluebird's bill at once went up 

 into the air. 



" If there is anything I detest," said 

 she, scornfully, " it is old furniture, 

 especially second-hand beds. If that 

 is the best you have to offer a pros- 

 pective bride, Mr. Bluebird, I will bid 

 you good-day," and the haughty young 

 creature prettily fluttered her wings as 

 if about to fly off and leave him. 



"Do not go," he pleaded; "if this 

 house does not please you I have oth- 

 ers to offer," and Miss Bluebird, moved 

 apparently by his tender strains, 

 sweetly said tni-al-ly and condescended 

 to fly down and enter the box. 



It was scarcely a minute ere she re- 

 appeared, and, flying at once to her 

 favorite branch in the maple tree, called 

 to him to follow. A scrap of paper, 

 woven into his nest by the Purple Mar- 

 tin the past season, fluttered to the 

 ground as she emerged from the box, 

 and while the pair exchanged vows of 

 love and constancy up in the maple 

 tree, I picked it up and saw, not with- 

 out marveling at the sagacit)' of Mr. 

 Bluebird, who probably had dragged 

 it into sight, a heart faintly drawn iri 

 red ink, and below it the words: 



'^Thou art my valentine T 



